My Ancestors Altar

Nimue Brown

Oct 31

(David)

This is part of my preparations for Samhain. The photographs from left to right are my beloved Nan, Dad on a yacht at sea, Dad and toddler me on the upper deck of the Mersey Ferry with the Wirral waterfront behind us, and the Liverpool city waterfront.

It's where I came from, where all the different threads of my ancestors - many of them seafarers so honoured by the ship's steel cleat on their altar - where they gathered from all over Britain and Ireland and eventually became the single family that produced me. I'm grateful to them. I honour them, those who are named in my memories and knowledge, and also those who are un-named and as yet unknown to me.

This Samhain I intend to invite them to talk with me. I also intend to invite more distant ancestors, ancient people, particularly those who worked stone tools. There is one ancient individual who I think might be willing to do so. He responded to a question I asked in a Tarot reading last week, and I look forward to meeting him at Samhain if he is interested.